</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 -Confidential- FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE SPECIAL REPORT on Communist Propaganda COMMUNIST REACTION TO THE ASSASSINA TION OF SENATOR ROBERT KENNEDY Confidential 13 June 1968 CD. 285

The Soviet Union and other communist countries have reacted to the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy with a mix of shock and condemnation, while also using the opportunity to criticize American society and politics.

Moscow's propaganda has focused on portraying the United States as a "sick" and "violent" society, where capitalism and violence are inseparable. The Soviet media have published numerous articles and commentaries attacking the U.S. leadership and suggesting that Senator Kennedy was murdered by reactionary forces opposed to his progressive views.

The Czechoslovak and Romanian reactions have been more sympathetic, with Prague media publishing condolence messages from high-ranking officials and expressing concern about the potential impact on world peace.

East European media generally define the motive for the assassination as the removal of a man who disagreed with Administration policies. The Budapest Mayar Nemetz points out that Senator Kennedy was privy to an extraordinary number of secrets, suggesting that they wanted to get rid of him because he knew too much.

Polish media display some sensitivity to the background of the murder suspect, Sirhan Sirhan, and suggest that U.S. publicity is playing up the line that he acted alone, while ignoring potential nationalist motives.

Hanoi sees the assassination as a "political murder" of an Administration opponent, with Hand and Liberation Radio drawing the standard picture of a reaction against Kennedy's society.

Peking points to the deepening crisis of U.S. imperialism, observing that American politicians are currently engaged in a dog-eat-dog struggle for power, while Cuban comment plays up the conspiracy theory, suggesting White House involvement and efforts to conceal the truth about the assassination.

The Voice of America is quoted as having tried to link the presumed murderer with communist organizations, and Havana calls the assassination "the natural product of a society in full composition convicted by violence by a criminal violence, whose most criminals holding the power of Washington."

RFK Declassified Files

02432642_communist_reaction_to_the_assassination_of_senator_robert_kennedy.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search